Railway signal-torpedo.



F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED APR.4, 1912.

1,096,358. Patented May 12,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANUORAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. uv L4 F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED APE.4, 1pm.

1, 35 Patented May12, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W L CMwoeo am z QGPQM COLUMBIA PLANOGHAPH co wasmNu'rnw. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, TO CENTRAL RAIL-WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK BUTCHER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the follow ing is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, andparticularly relates to an improved metal strap attaching clip designedfor and intended to be used with a metal case torpedo.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide a metal strapattaching clip with separate passages adapted to separately receiveeither a spring attaching strap or a lead attaching strap, whereby themanufacturer can use the same clip whether it be desired to have it holda lead strap or straps, or a spring strap.

A further object of my present invention is to so construct the clip anda spring strap that the spring strap and clip can be connected togetherbefore the clip is attached to the torpedo.

A further object of my invention is to provide the clip with passagesadapted to receive and hold a spring strap and separate lead strappassages so arranged in relation to the spring strap passages that twolead straps can be attached by the clip, thus providing four projectinglead strap ends and constituting what I term a four strap construction.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention applied to an oblong wedge-shaped metal torpedo with a springstrap, and shown in position on a railway rail. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view through the center of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an invertedperspective view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective wiew of theform of clip shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, before the ends of theclip are turned over the edge of the torpedo. Fig. 5 is an inverted viewof a torpedo and clip embodying my improvement, showing a slightlymodified form of clip and spring strap. Fig. 6 is an invertedperspective view of a torpedo with the form of clip shown in Fig. 5 andholding two lead straps, constituting a four strap construction. Fig. 7is a top plan view of Fig. 6, showing the Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed April 4, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 688,568.

manner of attaching the torpedo to the rail by the four strapconstruction. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of my improved clip appliedto a round metal torpedo with a spring strap, the torpedo shown inposition on a rail. Fig. 9 is a top plan view showing the manner ofattaching a round torpedo to the rail by the four strap construction.Fig. 10 is an inverted perspective view of the torpedo hown in Fig. 8.Fig. 11 is an inverted perspective view showing a modified form of aclip embodying the generic inventive idea herein disclosed.

leferring now to Figs. 1 to 1, inclusive, in which like referencecharacters denote the same parts, 1 is a railway rail and 2 an oblongwedge-shaped metal torpedo. A clip 3 is applied to the under side of thetorpedo, and this clip is provided with two intermediate spring strapreceiving openings 4, through which a spring strap 5 is threaded, asshown in Figs. 2 and In the form of spring strap shown in Figs. 1 to 3,the strap is provided with two short substantially U- shaped bonds 6.The object of these bends, as here shown, is twofold, one to provide twobreaking points for the spring clip when the torpedo is mashed by apassing train, the spring clip snapping and breaking at one or both ofthe bends 6 in the manner fully described in my Patent No. 1,009,139 ofNovember 21st 1911. In this patent the spring clip is shown with onlyone bend. In this application I show two bends so that if it should notbreak at one bend it will break at the other bend, thus providing twochances of the spring being broken. The other function performed by thetwo bonds 6 is to lock the strap against endwise movement on the clip byhaving the bends engage the walls of the openings l. These openings 4are made several times larger in area than the bends (5, whereby thespring strap can be threaded through the openings, which could not bedone it the openings were of approximately the size of the bends. Theseopenings I therefore aptly term longitudinal elongated openings, oropenings elongated longitudinal the strap 5.

The purpose of having the spring strap so constructed that it will breakwhen the bonds are straightened out by a passing train is fullydescribed in my aforesaid patent and briefly stated is to cause thestrap to fall away from the railway rail instead of remaining thereon,as it otherwise would do and thus injure the railway rail by reason ofthe hard metal of which the spring is made and the passage of thesucceeding car wheels thereover.

The clip 3 is provided with lead strap passages '7 to enable lead straps(not shown in said figures) to pass therethrough across between the clipand the torpedo. These lead straps when used preferably pass diagonallybetween the clip and the torpedo, as shown in Fig. 6, and thus crosseach other at the center, and by reason of this crossing the lead strapsare locked against longitudinal movement when the ends or ears 8 of theclip are turned around the flange 9 of the torpedo.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the metal clip 10 differs from the clipshown in Fig. 3, in providing a small passage 11, into which a singlebend 12 of a spring strap 13 projects, and in providing the passages 1d,at the opposite edges of the clip for the passage the-rethrough of thespring strap. To

this extent the clip is smaller than that shown in my patent beforementioned, but it differs from the clip in that patent in providingadditional lead strap passages 15, adapted to receive lead straps 16, asshown in Fig. 6, thus enabling the clip to be used as either a fourstrap torpedo, or a spring strap torpedo.

By reason of a clip constructed as described, the clip can be used bythe manu tacturer for either a spring strap or a four lead strapattachment, thus avoiding the necessity of having separate clips for thetwo kinds of straps.

In Fig. 7 the tour strap construction is shown attached to the top ofthe railway rail whether the form of clip shown in Figs. 1 to 4tinclusive, or the form of clip shown in Figs. 5 and 6 be used.

Whenthe form of spring strap attachmentshown in Figs. 5 and 6, is used,it will be understood, of course, that the spring strap is not attachedto the clip before the clip is placed on the torpedo, which, however, istrue 01" the form shown in Figs. 1 to 1.

Referring now to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, I show a clip embodying the broadinventive idea applied to a round torpedo 17. In Figs. 8 and 10, I showthe spring strap applied, and in Fig. 9 the tour lead strapconstruction. In this arrangement the spring strap is shown as extendingtransverse the clip 18, instead of longitudinal the clip, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. In this instance, the clip 18 is provided with twosmallopenings through which two lateral bends 19 of the spring strap 20project, the strap passing between the clip and the bottom of thetorpedo, as shown. The ends of the clip are provided with lead strappassages 21, thus enabling the clip to be used in connection with eithera tour lead strap or a spring strap.

In Fig. 11, I show a clip 27 having spring strap receiving passages a,like the passages i, of Fig. 4, and in addition, I show tour openings 28made in the clip under the bottom of the torpedo through which the tourlead strap construction 29 may pass.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. The combination with a railway signal torpedo ot' aplate having means for att-iclnnent to the torpedo, said plate having anintermediate opening to receive the bend of a spring strap, and the saidplate having l ourpassages spaced equidistant the aforesaid opening,whereby either lead straps or a spring strap may be used with the saidplate.

2. The combination with a railway signal torpedo, of a clip comprising aplate having means for attaching it to the torpedo, an intermediateopening to receive the bend in a spring strap and four additionalpassages for the admittance of two lead straps thus enabling the clip tobe used for either a spring clip having an intermediate bend or a twolead strap construction.

3. The combination with a railway signal torpedo, of a clip comprising aplate having means for attaching it to a torpedo, the said plate havingan intermediate opening and four additional passages placed adjacent thecorners of the said plate to receive and lock two lead strapsthereunder, whereby said clip may be used with either a single bendspring strap or with the two lead strap construction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiX my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

FRANK- DU TCHER. l' v itnesses R. W. JUNKER, G. M. LEONARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

